Safety guard for skates



y 30, 1967 v I R. c. BAUER 3,322,437

SAFETY GUARD FOR SKATES Filed March 16, 1965 Inventor. R0) 0. BAUER QZMJZM Agent United States Patent 3,322,437 SAFETY GUARD FOR SKATE Roy C. Bauer, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, assignor to Canada Skate Manufacturing Company Limited, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, a corporation of Ontario, Canada Filed Mar. 16, 1965, Ser. No. 440,142 17 Claims. (Cl. 280-1117) The present invention relates to tip guard assemblies for mounting on the rear ends of tube skates to provide protective shields for the rear tips of the skate blades and tubes and thereby prevent or minimize bodily injury to persons who may he accidentally struck thereby, for example.

Safety guards for the rear tips of skates are relatively well known since a number of types are on the market. Nevertheless having regard to the deficiencies which have been found in the known prior art constructions, and which need not be enumerated herein, the present invention seeks to provide a tip guard assembly for tube skates affording over-all superiority to the prior art generally as well as overcoming specific deficiencies in the several prior art constructions. The invention also seeks to provide a tube skate embodying such assembly.

For the-sake of clear exposition it may be stated at this point that the term tube skate as used in this disclosure and in the ensuing claims denotes a skate of the type wherein the skate blade is secured at its upper edge and along substantially its full length to a tube extending longitudinally of the skate and generally parallel to the blade, the tube in turn carrying mounts by which it is attachable to a skating boot. The term rear as used herein refers to that end of the skate adjacent to the heel of the wearer.

A safety guard assembly for skates as herein contemplated comprises a guard for the rear tips of the skate blade and tube as well as an anchorage or mounting for said guard whereby the latter is secured to the skate.

It is visualized that a skate tip guard should ideally be resilient and capable of yielding slightly under impact and hence of surviving such impact without permanent eformation or breakage, and a most suitable guard material from this point of view would be an elastomeric substance which combines the properties of toughness and resilience.

On the other hand an appnopriate mounting for a guard of this nature should ideally be formed of metal which is capable of integral attachment to the metal of the skate as by soldering or welding instead of being fastened by some other less permanent form of connection, such as riveting for example, as would be necessary if the mounting were made of another material.

It is, therefore, within the purview of the invention to provide a two-part guard assembly comprising a resilient skate tip guard formed of a resilient plastic, for example, and a metal mounting therefor which can be integrally attached to the skate-as by soldering, welding or an equivalent processto render the connection relatively permanent. A further feature of the invention resides in a coupling, such as a screw, for connecting the guard securely to the mounting.

Although the desirability of a secure attachment of the guard to the skate has been emphasized it is also considered that an ideal tip guard should be quickly and easily removable from the skate when this is necessary, for instance to permit sharpening of the skate blade or to facilitate replacement of the guard should this become damaged.

Accordingly it is also contemplated that in the guard assembly of the invention the coupling should afford a 3,322,437- Patented May 30, 1967 releasable connection between the guard and the mounting therefor.

The present invention has therefore the broad object of providing a tip guard assembly for a tube skate embodying so far as possible the desiderata set forth hereinabove.

More specifically it is an object of the invention to provide a guard assembly as aforesaid including a guard for the rear tips of the skate blade and tube and secure anchorage therefor on the skate while permittting the guard itselfto be readily removed when desired for replacement or other purposes.

It is also an object of the invention to provide in a guard assembly as aforesaid a guard which can partially envelope the rear ends of a skate blade and tube and mounting for the guard securable within the tube of the skate.

It is a further object of the invention to provide in an assembly as aforesaid means for centering said guard and correctly positioning it when it is applied to a skate.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a skate tip guard assembly including a guard of relatively resilient material capable of absorbing blows, a relatively rigid mounting for said guard capable of being integrally attached to a metal skate, and means for releasably coupling said guard to said mounting.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a tip guard assembly as aforesaid wherein said guard is formed of plastic and said mounting is metal.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a tip guard assembly which when installed on a skate has a minimum of lateral and longitudinal play between the parts thereof and between said parts and the skate.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a guard assembly as aforesaid wherein said guard is urged by said coupling means into contact with said mounting so that mating formations on the guard and mounting are interengaged and interact to locate and centre the guard relative to the mounting and to the tube and blade tips both longitudinally and laterally of the skate.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a guard assembly as aforesaid wherein said guard is capable of easy attachment to and detachment from said mounting by relatively unskilled persons operating without special tools or precision equipment.

It is also, of course, an object of the invention to provide a tube skate embodying a tip guard assembly as aforesaid.

The foregoing and other objects are achieved in accordance with the invention by the provision of a tip guard assembly for a tube skate comprising a guard superposable on the rear tips of the skate blade and tube in a position to cover and shield them, and a mounting for said guard integrally attachable to the tube to provide anchorage for said guard. The guard is formed of a lightweight substance, such as plastic, having at least slight resilience and relatively high impact resistance, and said mounting is formed of a metal capable of permanent integrated attachment to the tube, guard and mounting are releasably interconnectible with each other to facilitate mounting and demounting of the guard relative to the skate.

The phrases integrally attachable to, integrally attached to and the like as used herein are intended to indicate that the mounting is securable or secured to the tube by a process such as welding and/or soldering whereby v the substance of the mounting becomes under normal condi-tions substantially indissolubly attached to the substance of the tube so as to be incapable of movement relative thereto and to form therewith a solid, integrated whole.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of illustration with reference to the as by welding. The

accompanying drawing wherein like parts are designated by like reference numerals and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a tube skate having a tip guard assembly installed thereon in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view showing on an enlarged scale the rear end of the tube skate of FIG. 1 with the tip guard assembly installed thereon, certain parts of the guard assembly being shown in longitudinal section and the tube of the skate being partially broken away for the sake of clearly showing the guard assembly;

FIG. 3 is an end elevation of a tip guard as contemplated by the invention viewed in the direction of the arrow 111 of FIG.

FIG. 4 is an isometric view of a mounting forming part of a guard assembly in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of a tip guard assembly in accordance with the invention including a tip guard as shown in FIG. 3, said guard being sectioned on the line V-V of FIG. 3, and

FIG. 6 is a rear end elevational view on an enlarged scale of the tube and blade of the skate shown in FIG. 1 with the mounting of FIG. 4 installed thereon, the position of the tip guard being indicated in chain dotted lines.

An exemplary skate guard assembly 1 in accordance with the invention is illustrated in isolation in FIG. 5 and mounted upon a skate in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Broadly the guard assembly of the invention comprises a guard 2 and a mounting 4 for the guard shown in exploded relation in FIG. 5. The guard 2 and mounting 4 are releasably interconnectible and in the present embodiment a coupling is provided in the form of a screw 6 for interconnecting the guard and the mounting.

The mounting 4 is integrally attachable to the tube of a skate, such attachment being shown best in FIG. 2 wherein a tube skate 8 including a blade 10 and a tube 12 is illustrated.

The guard 2 serves as a rearwardly directed fender for the rear tips of the blade and tube of a tube skate to shield them and to prevent them from injuring persons accidentally struck thereby and for this purpose is superposable upon said rear tips as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. The mounting 4 affords anchorage for the guard 2 in its operative position superposed upon the blade 10 and the tube 12 tips as aforesaid.

The guard 2 and mounting 4 have mating formations 14 and 16 which are engageable with each other to locate the guard in its superposed position aforesaid relative to the mounting and for reinforcing the interconnection of the guard and the mounting, as will be described in greater detail hereinafter.

As has been stated above, it is very desirable that a guard for the rear tip of a tube skate should have at least some slight resilience to absorb the shock of impacts to which it may be subject from time to time, and accordingly in the present embodiment the guard 2 is molded from a resilient plastic such as later described which has relatively high impact resistance and is not prone to shattering even under very low temperature conditions. The use of a lightweight material such as plastic, for the guard 2 has the additional advantage that the skate on which it is mounted is not overweighted at the rear end and hence unbalanced as might well be the case if a heavier material were used.

Conversely the mounting 4 is preferably composed of metal which may be integrally attached to the skate tube 12 as by welding, soldering or an analogous process whereby the two parts become more or less permanently united into a solid whole.

If it has not already been sufiiciently stressed the advantage of an assembly including a guard and mounting therefor respectively formed of plastic and metal will now be obvious, since on the one hand if both elements were formed of metal this would risk making the assembly too heavy as well as making it much more expensive and difficult to manufacture than the assembly of the invention, while on the other hand if both elements were formed of plastic the mounting could be attached to the metal of the skate tube only by a relatively insecure connection, such as riveting, for example, which would be prone to destruction under the stresses imposed thereon during use of the skate.

Attention is now directed to FIG. 6 which is a rear end view of the skate blade 10 and tube 12, the position of the guard 2 being indicated in chain dotted lines. It will be observed that in the skate illustrated the blade 10 and the tube 12 are substantially co-terminous, at any rate at the rear end of the skate. Although the rear tip 10a of the blade 10 is shown as having a relatively blunt contour and this may be assumed to be the condition thereof at any rate when new, it will be realized that both this and the rear tip 12a of the tube 12 are quite capable of inflicting painful jabs unless shielded as contemplated by the invention.

In the present embodiment the mounting 4 comprises a metal plug attached to the tube 12 in telescoped relation therewith, the configuration of the plug being clearly illustrated in FIG. 4. For the sake of simplicity the mounting 4 may from time to time be referred to herein as the plug 4, but it should be made clear that a plug is but one exemplary form which may be assumed by the mounting 4. It is preferred, moreover, that the plug 4 be attached to the tube 12 adjacent to its rear tip for reasons which will become apparent hereinafter. Preferably, the plug 4 is shaped and dimensioned to conform to the bore 18 of the tube 12 whereby it may be inserted snugly therein and welded and/or soldered to the tube 12. By way of example spot welds 19 and solder 20 are indicated in FIGS. 2 and 6 as the means by which the mounting 4 is integrally attached to the tube 12. It should be understood, however, that although this is the preferred method of attachment it may in some circumstances be possible to use either welding alone or soldering alone or some other analogous process to effect the integral attachment of the mounting 4 and tube 12. It may be added here that the combination of spot welding and soldering has been found very efficient in providing the secure attachment between the blade 10 and the tube 12 which is vital to a composite article subject to such rigorous use as a skate.

It will be apparent that the thickness of the layer of solder 20 illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 6 has been somewhat exaggerated for the sake of clearly illustrating this feature.

The formation 16 of the plug 4 which mates with the formation 14 of the guard 2 may consist of a substantially conical recess as shown, while the guard formation 14 may consist of a substantially conical projection engageable in nested relation therewith.

The guard 2 of the present embodiment is roughly pear shaped having an enlarged or bulbous end, including the formation 14, superposable on the rear tip 12a of the tube 12 and a tapered, relatively narrow end superposable on the rear tip 10a of the blade 10. The surface of the guard 2 which contacts the blade and tube tips may be formed with depressions 21, as shown particularly in FIGS. 3 and 5, to provide, as it were, a shallow housing for said tips. That is to say the depressions 21 leave a perimetral flange 22 on the guard 2 which flange lies adjacent to the outer side surfaces of the blade 10 and tube 12 when the guard 2 is installed in its operative position on the skate so that the blade and tube tips are not only covered by the guard 2 but are to some degree enveloped thereby. As shown in FIG. 5 the conical formation 14 of the guard may be relatively short so as not to project beyond the flange 22.

The screw 6 is receivable in a threaded bore 24 formed in the mounting 4 and opening at the apex of the conical recess constituting the formation 16 thereof. A bore 26 is formed in the guard 2 and is counterbored at 28. The

bore 26 may have a diameter sufliciently great to pass the screw 6 with a small amount of lateral play, while the counterbore 28 is provided to ensure that the head of the screw 6 lies below the surface of the guard 2 when the latter is installed in its operative position. The bore 26 is preferably formed in the enlarged end of the guard 2 and opens at the apex of the conical projecting formation 14.

The manner in which the guard 2 is assembled with the mount-ing 4 and thereby with the skate 8 will now be obvious. The screw 6 is simply inserted through the bore 26 of the guard 2 and the threaded end thereof is engaged in the threaded bore 24 of the mounting 4 and screwed home until the mating formations 14 and 16 are brought tightly into engagement with each other. The conical configuration of the formations 14 and 16 ensures that when said formations are brought into nested relation with each other the guard 2 is located not only in the direction of the length of the skate but also in the direction transverse thereto since the conical projecting guard formation 16 is substantially self-centring in the conical recessed formation 14 of the mounting 4 such self-centring being facilitated by the play between the screw 6 and the bore 26 which, of course, permits slight lateral movement of the guard 2 relative to the screw 6 while the latter is being screwed home and by the fact that the mounting 4 is disposed adjacent the rear tip 12a of the tube 12 (actually in the mouth of the tube as shown).

When the screw 6 is screwed home as aforesaid the tightly internested formations 14 and 16 serve to reinforce the interconnection between the guard 2 and the mounting 4 particularly against shearing stresses. That is to say the impact of a blow on the side or top of the guard 2 in the direction of the width or height of the skate is transmitted not merely to the screw 6 but also directly to the substance of the mounting 4 as the guard formation 14 presses laterally against the sides of the recessed formation 16 of the mounting 4. In such circumstances the flange 22 may also press laterally against the substance of the blade and tube 12 and further enhance the strength of the interconnection between the guard and the mounting.

It is noteworthy that the screw 6 operates in the direction of the length of the skate 8 to effect the interconnection of the guard 2 and the mounting 4. That is to say the screw 6 is disposed substantially longitudinally of the skate 8 when it is engaged with the guard 2 and mounting 4 for retaining the guard 2 in its operative position superposed upon the tips of the blade 10 and tube 12. With the screw 6 operating in this direction the guard 2 is drawn into contact with the mounting 4 by the screw head 6a acting against the shoulder 30 between the bore 26 and the counterbore 28 as the screw is screwed homev Thus the guard 2 when operatively mounted on the skate 8 is to all intents and purposes clamped between the head 6a of the screw 6 and the mounting 4 and this feature in conjunction with the internested mating formations 14 and 16 on the guard 2 and mounting 4 results in an interconnection between the guard and mounting which strongly resists any lateral or vertical movement of the guard 2 relative to the skate 8, which movement could only be detrimental to said connection.

Conversely, when it is desired to remove the guard 2, to permit sharpening of the blade 10, for example, it is a simple matter to unscrew the screw 6 and dismantle the guard assembly 1, the only tool necessary being a screwdriver.

In summary the invention has provided in the tube skate 8 the guard 2 superposable on the rear tips of the blade 10 and tube 12 of the skate and capable of being held in tight abutment therewith by a releasable coupling in the form of the screw 6 which is engageable with the guard 2 and also with the mounting 4, the latter being attached to and integrated with the tube 12. The guard 2 constitutes a shield or buffer which prevents the blade 6 and tube tips causing serious injury to persons accidently struck by them.

The term plastic as sometimes used herein is intended to have general reference to a member of that vast family of synthetic substances known as plastics and particular reference only to those members of that family which are possessed of the properties of toughness, resilienoe, high impact resistance, non-hygroscopicity and lightness of weight and which are substantially shatter proof at least under the conditions likely to be encountered in the use of the skates. In addition, plastic within the meaning hereof also has the capacity of substantially retaining the foregoing characteristics under the aforesaid conditions of use.

Obviously, some of said characteristics are of greater importance than others and some may even be dispensed with in appropriate circumstances. However, the properties of high impact resistance, lightness, moldability and adaptability to skating conditions, at least, are essential properties of plastic as contemplated by this invention.

It will also be obvious that the metal used for the mounting 4 must be of a type capable of integral attachment to the metal of the skate tube in the manner previously described and that under this definition aluminum and certain alloys thereof, for example, are excluded. At this point it may be noted that in actual use the mounting 4 is protected from contact with snow, ice and moisture by the guard 2, since the flange 22 and the tight interengagement of the mating formations 14 and 16 substantially completely prevent such foreign matter from infiltrating between the guard 2 and the mounting 4.

Although one embodiment of the invention has been described herein by way of illustration the invention is not limited to the particular form shown in the drawings and it will be obvious that many modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope of the claims now following.

What I claim is:

1. A tip guard assembly for the tips of the blade and tube of a tube skate comprising:

a guard superposable on the rear tips of the said blade and tube in a position to cover and shield them, and

a mounting for said guard attachable to said tube to provide anchorage for said guard;

said guard being formed of a lightweight substance having at least slight resilience and relatively high impact resistance, and said mounting being integrally attachable to said tube;

said guard being releasably interconnectible with said mounting by screw means operable in the direction of the length of the skate.

2. A tip guard assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said guard is formed of a plastic and said mounting is formed of metal.

3. A tip guard assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said guard and said mounting have mating formations engageable with each other to locate said guard in its superposed position aforesaid relative to said mounting and for reinforcing the interconnection of said guard and said mounting.

4. In a tube skate including a blade supported by a tube, a tip guard assembly comprising:

a guard superposable on the rear tips of the said blade and tube in a position to cover and shield them, and

a mounting for said guard attached to said tube and providing anchorage for said guard; said guard being formed of a lightweight substance having at least slight resilience and relatively high impact resistance, and said mounting being attached integrally to said tube;

said guard being releasably interconnectible with said mounting being attached integrally to said tube;

said guard being releasably interconnectible with said mounting by screw means operating in the direction of the length of the skate.

5. In a tube skate including a blade supported by a tube, a tip guard assembly comprising:

a guard superposable on the rear tips of said blade and said tube in a position to cover and shield them;

a mounting for said guard integrally attached to said tube in telescoped relation therewith to afford anchorage for said guard in its operative position superposed on said blade and tube tips as aforesaid, and

a coupling for interconnecting and disconnecting said guard and said mounting;

said guard and mounting having mating formations engageable with each other to locate said guard in its operative position aforesaid relative to said mounting and for reinforcing the interconnection of said guard and said mounting against shearing stresses.

6. A tube skate as claimed in claim wherein:

said coupling is operable in the direction of the length of the skate to connect and disconnect said guard and said mounting.

7. A tube skate as claimed in claim 5 wherein:

said mating formations comprise a substantially conical projection and a substantially conical recess, engageable with each other in nested relation.

8. A tube skate as claimed in claim 5 wherein:

said coupling comprises a screw engageable with both said guard and said mounting.

9. A tube skate as claimed in claim 5 wherein:

said coupling comprises a screw engageable with both said guard and said mounting to retain said guard in its superposed position aforesaid;

said screw being disposed substantially longitudinally of said skate when engaged as aforesaid with said guard and mounting.

10. A tube skate as claimed in claim 5 wherein:

said tube is formed of metal and said mounting is a metal plug installed therein.

11. A tube skate as claimed in claim 5 wherein:

said mounting is a metal plug welded to said tube and said guard is formed of a resilient plastic.

12. In a tube skate including a blade supported by a tube, a tip guard assembly comprising:

a guard superposable on the rear tips of said blade and said tube in a position to cover and shield them;

a mounting for said guard integrally attached to said tube affording anchorage for said guard in its superposed position on said blade and tube tips as aforesaid, and

a coupling for interconnecting said guard and said mounting;

said guard and mounting having mating formations engageable with each other to locate said guard in its superposed position aforesaid relative to said mounting and to said blade and tube tips and for reinforcing the interconnection of said guard and said mounting;

said mating formations comprising a substantially conical projection and a substantially conical recess nestable with each other.

13. A tube skate a claimed in claim 12 wherein:

said coupling comprises a screw passing through the apices of said projection and said recess and engageable with both said guard and said mounting to retain said projection and recess in nested relation with each other and to retain said guard in its superposed position aforesaid.

14. A tube skate as claimed in claim 12 wherein:

said projection is on said guard and said recess is in said mounting;

said guard including a bore opening at the apex of said projection;

said mounting including a threaded bore opening at the apex of said recess;

said coupling comprising a screw receivable Within said bores.

15. A guard assembly for the substantially coterminous rear tips of the tube and blade of a skate comprising:

a guard superposable on said rear tube and blade tips to cover and shield them;

a mounting for said guard;

formations on said guard and on said mounting permitting mating engagement thereof, and a coupling operable to disconnectably connect said guard in mating engagement with said mounting;

said mounting being integrally attachable to said tube in telescoped relation therewith and in an orientation and disposition permitting connection of said guard by said coupling in mating engagement with said mounting and with said guard superposed as aforesaid on said rear tube and blade tips.

16. A guard assembly as set forth in claim 15 wherein the mounting is attached to said tube to render said formations on said guard and mounting engageable with each other to locate the said guard in said superposed relation.

17. A guard assembly as set forth in claim 15 wherein the said mounting is attached to the said tube to render said formations on said guard and mounting engageable with each other to reinforce the inter-connection thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 785,325 3/1905 Nott 2801 1.17 1,142,855 6/1915 Soty 280-1l l6 1,472,886 11/1923 Reach 28011.17 3,095,208 6/1963 Shaw 28011.17 3,162,458 12/1964 Fiset 2801 1.12

BENJAMIN HERSH, Primary Examiner.

MILTON L. SMITH, Examiner. 

15. A GUARD ASSEMBLY FOR THE SUBSTANTIALLY COTERMINOUS REAR TIPS OF THE TUBE AND BLADE OF A SKATE COMPRISING: A GUARD SUPERPOSABLE ON SAID REAR TUBE AND BLADE TIPS TO COVER AND SHIELD THEM; A MOUNTING FOR SAID GUARD; FORMATIONS ON SAID GUARD AND ON SAID MOUNTING PERMITTING MATING ENGAGEMENT THEREOF, AND A COUPLING OPERABLE TO DISCONNECTABLY CONNECT SAID GUARD IN MATING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID MOUNTING; SAID MOUNTING BEING INTEGRALLY ATTACHABLE TO SAID TUBE IN TELESCOPED RELATION THEREWITH AND IN AN ORIENTATION AND DISPOSITION PERMITTING CONNECTION OF SAID GUARD BY SAID COUPLING IN MATING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID MOUNTING AND WITH SAID GUARD SUPERPOSED AS AFORESAID ON SAID REAR TUBE AND BLADE TIPS. 